But very difficult to treat in humans (long course of expensive antibiotics with unpleasant side effects). Don't put your bare hand into the tank, esp if you have any open wounds. Wear latex gloves (can be easily purchased at the drug store). There are also aquarium gloves you can purchase which go up to your elbows for more protection.

I do want to say that the "TB" you are referring to is fish TB, which is caused by mycobacterium marinum, which is NOT the species my mycobacterium that causes human TB(the lung disease). It generally causes an opportunistic infection in humans. I am a clinical microbiologist and can say that I have never seen a human case in my lab, I work in one of the largest clinical microbiology labs in the eastern US.

Regardless, if you have any paper cuts or open wounds, I wouldn't reach your hand into a fish tank under any circumstances... You could get a nasty infection that way..

Actually Mycobacterium marinum can infect people--I know someone in the aquarium maintenance business who had a confirmed infection in his hand. The GI side effects of the antibiotics he had to take for months were rather unpleasant.